mahabharatafandomcom-20200222-history
Sambhava Parva
This section contains 75 chapters and 3232 verses. While giving an account of the Kuru clan, Vaisampayana told the story of Yayati, the son of Nahusha. One of the two wives of Yayati was Devayani, the daughter of Sukracharya. She had two sons named Yadu and Turvasu. Yayati became old due to the curse of Sukracharya. But he still desired sensual pleasures. So he asked his sons to take his old age and gift him their youth. But the four elder sons Yadu, Turvasu, Druhyu and Anu did not accept to that proposal. However,his last son Puru agreed to do as his father asked. After enjoying sensual pleasures some more time, Yayati returned his son’s youth, coronated him and retired to the forest. With severe austerities and control of senses, he achieved heaven. Indra asked him with whom was he equal in penance. He said that there was no one equal to him in penance. Because of his egoism, his merit diminished, and the period of his stay in the celestial worlds ended. Indra conceded Yayati’s request that from heaven he might fall down among the virtuous. While falling down Yayati saw his grandson Ashtaka and others. Having cleared their doubts regarding dharma, he again went to heaven because of the company of the virtuous. The family of Puru became famous by his name. In his line Dushyanta was born to Ilila. Once Dushyanta, while hunting, went to the hermitage of Kanva, saw there Sakuntala, the daughter of Menaka and Viswamitra, married her secretly according to the Gandharva rite, and later returned to his kingdom.Sakuntala gave birth to Bharata in the hermitage. Dushyanta did not visit them even when the boy had attained the age to be the crown-prince. Then Kanva sent Sakuntala along with his disciples to the king. When Sakuntala introduced herself in the royal court, the king treated her as a stranger and claimed that he did not know her. He asked her to go away. As the dejected Sakuntala was about to leave the assembly, a voice from the sky revealed the truth. Then Dushyanta accepted her. Afraid of the hearsay, he acted like that. His family became celebrated as Bharatavamsa after his son Bharata. In this line was born Hasti after whom the name of a place became famous. After some years Kuru was born. The family became popular by his name also. In that family, Devapi, Santanu and Bahlika were born to King Pratipa. As Devapi retired to the sacred groves in his childhood itself, Santanu became the king. His wife Ganga used to throw their new born babies in the river. She threw seven sons like this. The king was disgusted with the behaviour of his wife. He prevented her from killing the eighth child. Then Ganga left her husband and went away taking her child. After making her son well versed in all sciences, she brought him to her husband. He was Bhishma. He made two promises: 1. the son of Satyavati only would become the king and 2. he himself would be a life long celibate, and he performed the marriage of Satyavati with his father. Satyavati gave birth to two sons. The elder one Chitrangada was killed in his early age by a Gandharva. Bhishma performed the marriage of Vichitravirya with the daughters of the king of Kasi, Ambika and Ambalika. Vichitravirya died issueless. As the kingdom would become heirless, Satyavati implored Bhishma to marry. But the latter did not want to break his promise. Then Satyavati remembered Vyasa. Immediately Vyasa appeared there. He followed his mother’s word. He begot the blind Dhritarashtra on Ambika, the pale Pandu on Ambalika and the knowledgeable Vidura on their maid. Dhritarashtra and Panduraja grew up under the care of Bhishma. Dhritarashtra married Gandhari, and Pandu married Kunti and Madri. Pandu delighted everyone by conquering all the quarters. Once accompanied by his two wives, he went to hunt in the vicinity of the Himalayas. There he killed a deer couple that was engaged in intercourse. While dying the male deer cursed him that he would die if he were to engage in sex with his wife. The distressed Pandu took up vanaprastha (forest dwelling stage) and performed penance. His wives served him dutifully. Pandu wanted to beget children as a childless man could not go to heaven. Kunri then told him about the boon she received from sage Durvasas. With the permission of her husband, she gave birth to Dharmaraja having invoked Lord Yama. Gandhari also got pregnancy, but did not deliver even after two years. At last a lump of flesh hard like that of steel was delivered from her womb. As the days went by, that lump got divided into 101 pieces. On the advice of Vyasa, they were kept in pots filled with ghee. From them Duryodhana appeared first. On that very day Kunti gave birth to Bhima by the grace of the wind god. There from the pieces of flesh one after one Dussasana and others were born. A girl named Dussala was also born. After one year Kunti begot Arjuna, blessed by Indra. One day Pandu, overcome by passion, participated in sexual act with Madri, and died of the curse. Madri followed him by ascending the funeral pyre. The sages of the forest conducted Kunti and her five sons to Hastinapura and handed them over to Dhritarashtra. Vyasa consoled them and took his mother Satyavati, Ambika and Ambalika to the forest where they performed severe austerities, and attained to their desired planes after leaving their bodies. The sons of Pandu spent their time playing with the sons of Dhritarashtra. Duryodhana and others became jealous of Bhima’s strength. They waited for opportunities to harm him. Once they mixed poison in his food to kill him. On another time they tied him with creepers while he was asleep and flung him into the ocean. The terrible poisonous snakes bit him repeatedly. Still nothing happened to him. The princes studied under the tutelage of Kripacharya. Drona who was insulted by his friend king Drupada came to Hastinapura and became the teacher of the princes. Pleased with Arjuna’s expertise in archery, he decided to impart the extraordinary knowledge of astras and sastras to him. In order to keep his word, he took the right thumb of Ekalavya as his Gurudakshina. Once, while Drona was taking bath in a river, an alligator seized him by thigh. Arjuna shot sharp arrows at that crocodile which was under the water. Dronacharya was very much pleased with him, and taught him many astras. He became confident that Arjuna could defeat Drupada and bring him to him. Drona arranged a display of the proficiency in arms of the princes. Karna also wanted to participate in that. During his duel with Arjuna, the question of his not being a prince arose. Immediately Duryodhana installed him as the king of Anga. Later Arjuna defeated Drupada, bound him and brought him to his teacher. Drona disgraced him and felt happy. Then he taught the Brahmasironamakastra to Arjuna. Dhritarashtra made Dharmaraja the crown-prince. But he was worried at the prosperity of the Pandavas. On his inquiry, Kanika, the minister well versed in polity, advised him on fraudulent tact. Duryodhana who also worried put before his father the proposal of sending the Pandavas to Varanavata. Dhritarastra accepted it. Summary by Rashtriya Sanskrit Vidyapeetha References Category:Adi Parva